Plumes of dust by Lake Chad and Aïr Mountains, Chad and Niger

Three plumes of dust from the Sahara Desert can be seen blowing west-southwestward in this image of West Africa. Near the center, northeast of Lake Chad, are two light, parallel plumes originating from the Bodélé Depression, in Chad. Near the left edge, south of the Aïr Mountains, in Niger, is the last plume of dust, darker tan in color than the other two and apparently carrying fewer particles. In the lower part of the full image, smoke and fires can be seen across the Central Africa Republic, Cameroon and Nigeria.

Plumes of dust by Lake Chad and Aïr Mountains, Chad and Niger on December 26, 2012 (Credit: MODIS/Terra)

 

Source: Earth Snapshots

Featured image: Plumes of dust by Lake Chad and Aïr Mountains, Chad and Niger (Credit: LANCE/MODIS/Terra)